Knitting machine



Dec. 5, 1939.

F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR 7 Q BY 9%/wz% AT ORNEQS Dec. 5, 1939. F. LAMBACH 2,182,493

' KNITTING MACHINE v Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 a? VHSVENTOR RI '4 A O NEYS Dec. 5, 1939 F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6,1936 17 SheetsSheet 3 w l I, 11.]

INVENTOR F W BY ATTO Dec. 5, 1939. F. LAMBACH 2,132,493

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. s, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 .wfi, H o m2 NNQNa m. Qmm o INVENTOR B A 0am? Dec. 5, 1939.

F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 3%\VIINVENTOR "3 (Y) BY AT R EY 5 Dec. 5, 1939. F. LAMBACH KNITTINGMACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 ymvlzw'ron Dec. 5, 1939. F.LAMBACH 2,182,493

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 I7 Sheets-Sheet 7 WNVENTOR BY AIZONEYS Dec. 5, 1939. F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Filed 001:. 6, 1936 17Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR F BY g g km Dec. 5, 1939. LAMBACH 2,182,493

KNITTING MACHINE Filed 001;. 6, 19 36 l7 Shets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR Dec. 5,1939.

F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet 10 F.LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Dec. 5, 1939.

Filed 001:. 6, 1936 17 Shees-Sheet 11 NVENTOR ORNEYS Dec. 5, 1939. F,LAMBACH' I 2,182,493

' KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet l2 INVENTOR w Dec.5, 1939. F. LAMBACH KNITTING MACHINE Filed 001:. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheetl5 6FINVENTOR Z RNEY Dec. 5, 1939. LAMBACH 2,132,493

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet l4 374 Z6 2 5 III IINVENTOR O NEYS Dec. 5, 1939. I F. LAMBACH 2,182,493

KNITTING MACHINE Filed 001:. 6, 19 36 17 Sheerls-Sheet l5 INVENTOR tamDec. 5, 1939. F. LAMBACH 2,182,493

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1936 17 Sheets-Sheet l6 .i ge 29 250 1393 74 122 142 136 9 12 Q. 138 0 426 w 370 INVENTOR F. LAMBACH KNITTINGMACHINE Dec. 5, 1939.

17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed 001;. 6. 1936 p. p p

I'NVENTOR (r EYS * Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,182,493KNITTING MACHINE Fritz'Lambach, Bellevllle, N. J., assignor to RobertReiner, Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 6,1936, Serial No.-164,24

, In Germany July 15, 1936 24 Claims. (Cl- 66-82) The present inventionrelates to improvements in knitting machines, and more particularly toimprovements in a heeling machine of the general description whichincludes two banks of needles movable as a unit for knitting the lowerheel or heel flap portions of. a full-fashioned stocking blank, andhaving yarn measuring sinkers and webholders cooperating with each ofsaid banks of needles.

The machine is constructed and arranged to knit the lower heel or heelflap portions onto a full-fashioned stocking blank, in which the legportion including the high heel sections, and the foot portion, areknitted in a continuous operation upon another machine. This stockingblank is then transferred to the heeling machine herein disclosed bytopping a' connecting course between the high heel sections and the footsection of the blank onto the two banks of needles, the foot portion ofthe blank being "stretched rearwardly between the sinkers and webholderswhile the gusual take-up tension is applied to the leg portion of theblank. After the knitting of the first course, the foot is withdrawnfrom between the sinkers and webholders and folded forwardly to avoidinterference with the continued take-up action of the machine, and

the knitting of the heel flaps is then continued in the usual manner ason the ordinary'fullo fashioned legger- It is a principal object of thepresent invention to provide in a machine of this general descriptionhaving two separated needle banks and their associated knitting elementsoperable simultaneously for knitting fabric sections into the body of aknitted fabric blank, novel and improved means for controlling theoperation of the yarn feeding and knitting elements to produceknitother, so that at the end of the first or connect-' ing course,theyarn carriers will stand at the outer limits of their travel topermit the withdrawal from the rear. side of the needles and foldingover of the foot portion of the fabric.

It is a further object of the invention to providea novel and more fullyautomatic mecham'sm for controlling the operation of. the webholderelements during the initial stages of knitting the heel tabs onto acombination blank, and particularly .during the operations of topping astocking blank onto the machine, knitting the first or connectingcourse, and removing from between the webholders and sinkers and foldingforwardly of the foot portion of the fabric.

It is another object of. the invention to provide an indicator devicewhich will be'of assistance to the operator in bringing the machine tothe precise starting position necessary for topping a new blank onto themachine, for turning the machine to the position at which the toppingbar should be withdrawn, and also for bringing the machine to thecorrect stopping position to permit the withdrawal of the foot portionof. the blank from the rear side of the needles.

With these and other objects in view, a principal feature of the presentinvention consists in the provision of mechanism for driving the yarncarrier and slur-cock assemblies associated with each bank of needlessimultaneously in op- .posite directions toward and away from eachother, so that at the end of the first knitted course, the machine maybe stopped with the yarn carriers at the limit of their outward orspreading movement to permitwithdrawal and, folding over of the footportion of the blank without the necessity of interference with orcutting of the feeding yarn.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of mechanismcontrolled automatically as the machine is moved to starting positionfor tensioning the webholder elements'forwardly against the needles tofacilitate in the topping of the stocking blank onto the machine, forreturning the webholder elements to active operation during the knittingof the first course, and for again tensioning the webholder elementsforwardly to permit the withdrawal of the foot portion of the blank frombetween the sinkers and webholders. 1

The several features of the invention consist also in the devices,combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed,which together with the advantages tobe obtained thereby will be readilyunderstood by one skilled in the art from the following descriptiondrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the left halfof the machine; Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the right half ofthe machine; Fig. 3 is a View in rear elevation of the left half of themachine as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation oftheright taken in connection with 'the accompanying is a top plan view ofthe left half of the machine; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the righthalf of the machine; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1'! ofFig. 1; Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 1;Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2; Fig. 10 is asectional view taken on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; Fig. 11 is an endelevation looking from the right of the machine as indicated in Fig. 2;Fig. 12 is a detail view partly in section illustrating particularly thepattern lever for controlling the operation of the webholder elements;Fig. 13 is a detail view partly in section illustrating the patternoperated control mechanism for operating the stop switch of the machine;Fig. 14 is a detail view partly in section illustrating particularly thepattern control mechanism for shifting the cam shaft for narrowing; Fig.15 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the stocking blank topped ontoa'transfer bar; Fig. 16 is a detail view partly in section to illustratethe steps of the operation of topping the blank onto the machine; Fig.17 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a subsequent position ofcertain of the parts shown in Fig. 16,

at a later stage of the transfer operation; Fig. 18 is a view similar toFigs. 16 and 1'7 illustrating the parts in position at the completion ofthe transfer operation; Fig. 19 is a somewhat dia grammatic viewillustrating the loop structure of the fabric course which istransferred onto the needles of the heel; Figs. 20 to 25, inclusive, arediagrammatic views illustrating the successive steps of transferring thestocking blank onto the needles of the heel, the knitting of the firstcourse thereon, and the subsequent folding forwardly of the foot portionof the fabric, Fig. 20

representing the relative position of the needle and needle Wale loopsof the fabric blank subsequent to the transfer, Fig. 21 showing therelative positions after the kinking of the new fabric of the firstfabric course about the needle shanks; Fig. 22 showing the relativepositions of the parts subsequent to the pressing operation; Fig. 23showing the position of the new loop as drawn through the fabric loop ofthe blank topped onto the needles as the needles move downwardly to theknockover position, and Figs. 24 and 25 illustrating successive steps inthe operation of folding forwardly the foot portion of the fabric; Fig.26 is a detail sectional view illustrating particularly a forwardmovement of the needles and webholder elements in which the foot portionof the fabric may be disconnected from its auxiliary take-up, andthereafter folded forward clear of the machine; Fig. 27 is a fragmentaryview in front elevation illustrating the starting position of thecarriers preparatory to the knitting of the first course; Fig. 28 is asimilar view showing the position of the carriers at the outward limitof their travel at the end of the first course, and in which'the footportion of the fabric has.been folded forwardly; Fig. 29 is a detailsectional view illustrating particularly the operation of the sinkerslur-cock carriers during active operation of the machine; Fig. 30 is aplan view of the sinkers and a sinker actuated cam to form a knittingwave; Fig. 31 isa sectional plan view showing the dividers in theirfully advanced position to re-measure the yarn; Figs. 32 to 35,inclusive, are a series of substantially identical detail sectionalviews illustrating the catch bar movement; Figs. 36 to 39 inclusive,show the operation of the needles half of the machine as shown in Fig.2; Fig.

to form loops; Fig. 40 is a sectional view showing the relative positionof the needle bar, sinker head and narrowing machine during thenarrowing operation; Figs. 41 to 47, inclusive, are a series of detailsectional views illustrating successive relative positions of needlesand transfer points during the narrowing operation; Fig. 48 illustratesthe positions of the transfer loops at the completion of the narrowingoperation; Fig. 49 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing the completedheel about to be cast off from the machine; and Fig. 50 is a view of thecomplete stocking blank with the lower heel or heel flap sectionsknitted thereto.

The heeling machine herein disclosed as embodying in a preferred formthe several features of the present invention, is similar inmanyrespects to fiat full-fashioned knitting machines of ordinarydescription havin spring beard needles movable as a unit with elation toa fixed press edge, cooperating yarn measuring sinkers, and webholders.narrowing mechanism and pattern chain control mechanism similar inconstruction and mode of operation to such mechanisms employed in afull-fashioned legger for controlling the opera- I tion of the machinein knitting and shaping the heel flaps. In order to adapt applicantsmachine specifically for the operation of knitting the lower heel orheel flap sections into a combination full-fashioned stocking blank,.each of the two .knitting sections of the machine in the preferredform, comprises two banks of needles for knitting simultaneously the twoheel flap sections, space being provided between the needle banks ofsufficient width to receive the intervening instep portion of the blank.

The combination full-fashioned stocking blank on which the heelingoperation is to be performed, as best shown in Fig. 15, preferablycomprises a leg portion 60 including the high heel sections 62 and 64,and a foot portion 66 knitted integrally with the leg, the lower heel orheel flap portions being omitted, so that the entire blank may beproduced in a single continuous knitting operation upon one machine.Between the high heel sections and the sole, a separating line is madeby stopping the reinforcement carriers over two courses on each side ofthe blank. Aloose course is then worked in the first reinforced coursein the sole for transfer to a looper at a latter stage in themanufacture of the stocking. For the operation of transferring thecombination blank described to the heeling machine, the blank as 'shownin Fig. 15, is placed on a transfer bar 68 having two transfer pointsections and 12' which are engaged in the'lastreinforced course of thehigh heel sections. The stocking blank is now topped onto the heelingmachine so that the foot portion of the blank extends rearwardly beneaththe sinkers and above the webholders,'

while the leg portion is tensioned forwardly by the usual take-upmechanism for the knitting of the first or connecting course of thelower heel or heel flap sections of the stocking blank. With this methodof knitting the heel fiaps into a connecting course of the previouslyknitted blank, it is necessary after the knitting of the first course,to withdraw from the machine and fold back the foot portion of thefabric to prevent interference with the operation of the knittingelements and the fabric take-up during the subsequent knitting of theheel flaps.

The several features of the present invention are directed specificallytocertain improvements The machine is provided with v in the structureand mode of operation of a. heeling machine of the general typedescribed for knitting heel flaps to a combination blank to permit ofthe more rapid and efficient operation of the machine particularly fortopping the combination blank onto the machine, and for thereafterremoving and folding forwardly the foot portion after the knitting ofthe first or connecting course of the heel flaps.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the heeling machine disclosedcomprises a series of transverse frames 14 connected by the usualfrontrail 16 and head rail 18. The several cooperating knittinginstrumentalities are driven'from a main cam shaft 80 extendingthroughout the machine length, from a motor 82 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 5)mounted on the rear of the machine. The motor- 82 is connected to drivea hand wheel shaft 84 by means of a sprocket chain 86 which passesaround a sprocket 88 on the armature shaft 90 of the motor and sprocket92 on the hand wheel shaft 84. The hand wheel shaft 84 is in turnconnected to drive the cam shaft 80 at a relatively slow rate by meansof intermeshing gears 94 and 95 carried respectively on the hand wheelshaft 84 and cam shaft 80.

The present machine is provided with pattern mechanism which may be ofordinary description, comprising preferably a pattern chain 96 (seeFigs. 1 and 7) which passes over a pattern drum 98 and around idlerrollers I00 and I02. v A stepby-step movement is imparted to the patternchain with each revolution of the main cam shaft 80 by means of a pawllever I04 pivotally supported co-axially with the drum 98 and havingmounted thereon a pawl I06 arranged'for engagement with a ratchet I08formed integrally with the drum 98. A reciprocating movement is impartedto the lever I04 and pawl I06 during each revolution of the cam shaft bymeans of a cam actuated lever IIO (see Fig. 7) which is pivotallysupported at 2- on a rearwardly extending bracket H4, and carriesintermediate its length a roller II6 arranged for engagement with a camII8 on the cam shaft 80. A tension spring I20 acts to move the cam leverH0 and pawl lever I04 upwardly maintaining the roller H6 in engagementwith the cam H8.

The machine disclosed in the drawings comprises two knitting sections,each having two separated banks of spring beard needles I22 which aresupported on a needle bar I24 extending the length of the two sections,so that all of the needles are moved as a single unit. Associated witheach knitting section is a webholder supporting bar I26 (see Figs. 2 and9) having mounted thereon two groups of webholders I28 cooperating withthe groups of needles above described. Each webholder bar I26 (see Figs.2 and 9) is supported for vertical and forward and back swinging movments by means of two downwardly extending arms I30 pivotally mounted onforwardly extending levers I32 secured to a rock shaft I34. The presentmachine is also provided with yarn measuring sinkers I36 and dividersI38 (see Fig. 9) which are supported for movement in a sinker bed I39secured to the head rail 18, and are controlled by means of sinker jacksI40 and a catch bar I42 con sructed and arranged to operate in the usualmanner for knitting on a full-fashioned cotton type machine. a 1

The needle bar I24 is supported for vertical movements with relation tothe webholder elements i28 (see Figs. v8 and 9) by means of rearwardlyextending lever arms I44 secured to the vertical needle motion rockshaft I46, and at their rear ends pivotally secured to downwardlyextending lugs I48 formed on the needle bar I26. Rocking movements areimparted to the shaft I46 by means of a downwardly extending cam leverI50, (see Fig. 8) which is provided with a cam roll I52 arranged forengagement with the usual knitting or narrowing cams on the cam shaft80. Forward and back movements are imparted to the needles through camactuated connections from the main cam shaft which include a downwardlyextending arm I56 secured to the needle bar I24 pivotally connected atits lower end to a forwardly extending link bar I58 which is in turnconnected through a pin and slot connection to the in-and-out needlemotion cam lever I60 carried on a shaft I62 and provided at its lowerend with a cam roll I64 for engagement with the usual knitting andnarrowing cams on the shaft 80.

In order to permit the topping of the combination full-fashionedstocking blank above described, onto the machine, so that the footportion thereof extends rearwardly over thewebholders and beneath thesinkers, it has been found desirable to provide means for moving thewebholders forwardly with the needles away from the stationary portionsof the machine including the head rail 18 and sinker bed I39. Inaccordance with one feature of the present inven-,

tion, mechanism is provided which is controlled by the pattern mechanismof the machine, and.

operates when the machine is brought to starting position and againafter theknitting of the first course, to tension the webholder elementsforwardly against the needle bed so that they will move with the needlesaway from the machine as the needles are rocked outwardly by theoperator. The forward and back movement of the webholder bar I26 ispreferably controlled by opposing spring tensions provided by a tensionspring I66 (see Fig. 9) connected at one -end to one of the supportingarms I30 for the webholder bar I26, and at its other. end to astationary hook I68 mounted on the rear of the machine, and a forwardlyextending tension spring I10 connected at one end to a supporting armI30 for the webholder bar I26, and at its forward end to a verticallyextending control lever I12. For the normally rearward or retractedposition of the control lever I12, the spring I10 is held under arelatively low tension so that the webholder bar is maintained in afullyretracted vertical operating position as shown in Fig. 9, under theinfluence of the spring I 66. A forward movement of the control leverI12 will now operate to increase the tension exerted by the spring I10sufficiently to overcome the tension exerted by the spring I66, so thatthe webholder bar I26 is tensioned forwardly against the needle bar I24.

The control lever I12 as best shown in Figs. 2 and 9, is fixedly mountedat its lower end on a rock shaft I14 carried in supporting brackets I16and I18 on the front rail 16. A cam lever I80 also secured to the rockshaft I14, is provided with a cam roller vI82 axially movable on aroller stud I84 into operative engagement with a webholder control camI86. The cam I86 as control lever I12 forwardly only for an angularposition of the cam shaft which corresponds exactly to the startingposition of the machine

